Geoff’s Fishing Report

 

Off the pier

Just prior to the March full moon this year, a suitably equipped Mick Zsargo, tried his hand at shark fishing from the Point Lonsdale Pier, and – as fate would have it – he hooked a bronze whaler just on three metres in length. Fortunately, there was a group of anglers from Bendigo, similarly inclined, who assisted in hoisting his shark onto the pier.

 

That would have normally been at the end of what many would consider the time of year to catch sharks. However, at the announcement of last week’s lock down, Mick decided to give it another try before the closure, and was again rewarded; this time with a hefty 7-gilled shark.

 

 

Off the Beach

Following his son Daniel’s, and his companion Joel Trezise’ captures of Australian salmon from Bancoora Beach reported last week, Andrew also decided to try his luck and made an early morning start.

 

Baiting up with a squid tentacle at very first light on Monday of last week – and with the tide rising – Andrew hooked up on his very first cast.

 

Unsure of what he had hooked until he eventually had it in the wash, was surprised to see it was a very large salmon that later weighed 3.4 kg.

 

There was another surprise in store, for on cleaning the big salmon, he found three smaller salmon in its stomach, the biggest measuring 33 cm.

 

Andrew went on to catch a few more salmon, but none approaching the size of that one.

 

Ray Millman returned to the beach at Jan Juc on Tuesday where he’d caught six salmon casting a metal lure, the week previous. Again, he was successful, catching another six with the same approach, the biggest of which weighed 1.6 kg.

 

Doug Lucas of Colac reports excellent fishing for salmon along the west coast. His latest report came from his son’s father-in-law, Gordon Thompson, who recently fished Clifton Beach near Princetown where he caught 14 salmon averaging a kilogram apiece. These were all caught using cut pilchard for bait.

Freshwater

Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club reports that there were still plenty of redfin on the go at Tullaroop Reservoir prior to lock-down, and that he, wife Amber, and other club members had caught them, both on various lures and on small yabbies; a preferred bait.

 

Kevin also reports that trophy size trout are offer here for more patient souls, either by trolling suitable lures or fishing mudeyes beneath a float.

John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that Chinook salmon remain on offer, and while some have been taken on trolled lures, the bigger fish are down deep, best fished for just above the bottom using cut pilchards or whitebait.

Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula

With good weather on Monday of last week, a good many boats were anchored up over formerly productive grounds in the Corio Bay outer harbour, but from all reports, very few whiting were taken.

 

One prominent angler, who has usually returned with bag limit catches reports only returning with four, and suggest the number of boats anchored of Curlewis and Leopold may have spooked them.

 

However, Gordon and Carol Williams, picked up a nice catch of 30 good size fish, but are somewhat reluctant to say exactly where, after the number of boats that moved into their previous spot following my report of their catch on May 11.

Abe asks:  

Geoff I’ve heard that Laker’s cutting is a good place to catch bream; could you tell me where it is?

 

Abe, Lakers cutting is down toward Queenscliff and may be reached by turning left onto Fellows Road, just after the Queenscliff-Portarlington Road turn-off.

 

Tides favorable, you could fish either side of the big drain that runs under the road just past the railway line; or, you could walk further down toward Swan Bay to fish.

 

To reach the lower/eastern half of Laker’s Cutting, continue along Fellows Road, following it around to the right where it becomes McDonald Road, park your car at the end and walk down through the swamp (with appropriate footwear) to the water’s edge.